Apparatus for automatically dispensing tags and applying glue thereto



F N. STEPHENS ETAL 3,426,725 APPARATUS FOR UTOMATCALLY DISPENSNG TAGS AND PPLYING GLUE THEHETO Sheet of Feb. 11, 969

Filed June E', 1965 g5 feeder/@ Awww/f5 E Char/e5 C. Kfz/ g y l 7g w Afro/eNews.

WS v QW, ...r2 M Q Bmw um 4/ u Y@ n J KV r .N J fwd. e f e ex e# e e e e Q e Y e w. uw WH v Y. Q. e Ti e N k QW\\ `N` Y @NLA 1,/7 Q www, l mw: Q S mx my wv l v* Feb. 11, 1969 F N. STEPHENS ETAL 3,425,725

APPARATUS FOR AUTOMATIC/'ALLY DISPENSING TAGS AND APPLYING GLUE THERETO Filed June 9, 1965 sheet g of z IIIIIIIIIIlllIII//ll'l A l i n 'Ln i I I aal@ A fr0@ Mers.

Feb. 11. 1969 F N. STEPHENS ETAL 3,426,726

APPARATUS FR AUTOMATCALLY DISPENSNG TAGS AND APPLYING GLUE THERETO Filed June 9, 1965 Sheet of 5 j@ W5@ Y l n ATTORNEYS.

United States Patent O 3,426,726 APPARATUS FOR AUTOMATICALLY DISPENSING TAGS AND APPLYING GLUE THERETO Frederick N. Stephens, Leawood, Kans., and Charles C.

Krug, Kansas City, Mo., assignors to Stephens Industries, Inc., Kansas City, Mo., a corporation of Missouri Continuation-n-part of applications Ser. No. 217,866, Aug. 20, 1962, and Ser. No. 294,817, July 15, 1963. This application June 9, 1965, Ser. No. 462,670 U.S. Cl. 118-2 15 Claims Int. Cl. Bc 11/14, 1.7/10

ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A machine for holding and selectively dispensing thin ticket-like elements stored in stacked relationship. During the dispensing operation, a selected number of strips of liquid adhesive may be applied to the undersides of the ticket-like elements at preselected and variable positions. An electrically operated reciprocable shuttle plate displaces the lowermost ticket-like element into contact with the upper surface of a glue applicator dauiber member during the synchronous upward movement of same. The removal of the displaced ticket-like element is utilized to reinstitute the cyclic process.

This application is a continuation-in-part of our copending applications, Ser. No. 217,866, tiled on Aug. 20, 1962, now Patent No. 3,262,418 and Ser. No. 294,817, filed July 15, 1963, now Patent No. 3,255,726.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide a selfcontained compact apparatus which is capable of dispensing individual tickets from a magazine containing a stack of said tickets and, as the tickets are individually dispensed, of applying thereto in preselected but varia-ble locations one or more strips of a suitable liquid adhesive by which portions of the ticket can be firmly and securely attached to -individual items of merchandise. Machines embodying the invention have particular utility in the handling and application of stock inventory tags formed with severable portions which must not be adhered to the item to which the ticket is applied and, even more specially, in the handling of tickets which may require the glue strips or areas to be changed in location from time to time depending on the nature of the item or on the type of ticket.

Another object of the invention is to provide a machine of the character described which is capable of handling, as required, stacks of tickets of different sizes by simply changing the magazine on the unit. Stated otherwise, it is an object of the invention to provide apparatus of the character described in which the dispensing and glue application functions are achieved through a mechanism which requires at the most only minor adjustments in order to accommodate tickets of different construction.

A further object of the invention is to provide apparatus of the character described in which the dispensing and glue application functions are positively synchronized, the synchronization being achieved by powering both from a common source and utilizing a direct mechanical linking of the mechanism for carrying out the respective functions. It is a feature of the invention in this respect that despite the positive interconnection linkage, the glue rapplicator mechanism can Ibe rendered inactive by quick and simple adjustment while retaining full capability in the dispensing function,

Still another object of the invention is to provide a semi-automatic dispensing and adhesive application apparatus of the character described which is particularly suited for the consecutive dispensing of stock inventory tickets with adhesive applied thereto at a withdrawal rate determined by the operator and which facilitates direct securing of the ticket to the article of merchandise for which it is intended directly upon its removal from the applicator and with no change in the position of the operators fingers.

A further object of the invention is to provide apparatus of the character described which can be easily moved about from location to location as desired and which consequently makes it a simple matter to obtain application of tickets as quickly as merchandise comes in, wherever it may be convenient for receiving clerks to work.

Other and further objects of the invention together `with the features of novelty appurtenant thereto, will appear in the course of the following description.

In the accompanying drawings, which form a part of the specification and are to be read in conjunction therewith, and in which like reference numerals indicate like parts in the various views:

FIG. l is a front perspective view of a preferred machine embodying the invention, the upper portion of the magazine being broken away because of space limitations;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged sectional view taken generally along the line 2 2 of FIG. 1 in the direction of the arrows;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary sectional view taken along line 3*3 of FIG. 2 in the direction of the arrows;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged rear perspective view of a portion of the machine, the magazine and thrust plate section having been removed and the front cover tilted forwardly for purposes of illustration;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary plan view of the glue applicator shaft, the shaft 'being disassociated from the machine;

FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken along line 6-6 of FIG. 5 in the direction of the arrows; and

FIG. 7 is a schematic and diagrammatic showing of the electrical circuitry and switching mechanism for controlling the operation of the machine.

Referring to the drawings and initially to FIGS. l and 2, reference numeral 10 indicates an upright channel-like magazine carrying therein a stack 11 of thin, rectangular tickets 12 (see FIG. 3). For purposes of illustration, we have shown a ticket of rectangular shape having severable portions demarked by the weakened lines of severance 12a. The interior of the magazine has a cross sectional shape corresponding to that of the tickets and its lower end is adapted to be inserted endwise into a receiver 13 formed on the main housing of the unit. Spacer lugs 10a are provided on the opposite sides of the lower end of the magazine and serve to assist in centering the magazine in the receiver. The receiver 13 is preferably formed as part of a single casting 14 having the enlarged horizontal base portion 15. Parallel vertical gussets or webs 16 support the receiver from the base portion, being formed integral therewith. The base portion is provided centrally with an elongate, generally rectangular opening 15a therethrough, the purpose of which will subsequently be described.

The base portion 15 is carried on an underlying sole plate 17 of generally the same plan. Centrally the sole plate 17 is provided with an elongate, longitudinally extending groove of U cross section having the side walls 18a, bottom wall 18b and forward end wall 18C. An elongate reciprocable bar 19 is slidably received in the groove. The bar carries near its forward end a depending lug or ear 19a which extends downwardly through an elongate slot or opening 20 formed in the base 18b of the groove. The opening 20 is of considerably greater length than that of the lug 19a so as to permit substantial reciprocatory movement of the lug longitudinally in the opening.

The bar 19 has connected to its upper surface a shuttle plate 21 of considerably greater width than the bar. The plate 21 is rectangular in plan and the side portions thereof extend in wing fashion on either side of the bar and are slidably supported on the underlying top surface of the sole plate 17 to etiher side of the aforementioned groove. The plate is secured to the bar 19 by the machine screw 22 threaded into a tapped aperture in the bar. The edges of the plate 21 are slidably guided` in rabbeted recesses b formed at the lower edges of the respective side walls of the opening 15a.

As will subsequently be seen, the leading edge of plate 21 moves into and out of the magazine 10 through an opening 23 in the lower edge of the back wall of the receiver and a similar aligned opening 24 in the adjoining edge of the magazine 10. In the retracted position for the shuttle plate which is the position illustrated in solid lines in FIG. 2 and elsewhere in the drawings, the leading edge of the plate lies within the opening 23 and in the same plane as the lowermost ticket in the magazine. The thickness of the plate is preferably slightly less than the thickness of a ticket.

The lowermost ticket in the magazine rests upon a forwardly projecting portion 17a of the sole plate (see FIGS. 2 and 3) which is provided with a recess or notch 17b in the foremost edge. The lower edge portions of the front of the receiver and magazine are cut away as at 25 (FIG. l) to provide an opening through which the lowermost ticket can be ejected from the stack in response to movement of the shuttle plate.

The forward portion of the unit includes the front cover element 26 having the central depression 26a in the upper central wall portion thereof. The U-shaped upper edge 26b of the wall surfaces bounding the depression lie in substantially the same plane as the top surface of the sole plate portion 17b. At its innermost point, edge 26b provides support for the front edge of the lowermost ticket. Thus, as the forward portion of the ticket is ejected from the stack, it rides outwardly on the upper edge surface 26b, being supported thereby with the central portion of the ticket overlying the depression 26a and accessible from below. A pair of parallel guide flanges 27 project from the front of the receiver 13. These are formed integral with the receiver and have the horizontal lower edges 27a which are spaced sufficiently above the plane of the support surface 26b to permit the ejected ticket to pass therebeneath. As shown in FIG. 3, the flanges 27 are respectively spaced to the outside of the corresponding outwardly running sections of the horizontal edge surface 26b.

The upper receiver casting 14, sole plate 17 and front cover 26 are all connected with and supported on a base member 28 having the rear upstanding wall portion 29 (FIG. 4). The sole plate 17 is carried by the four posts 30 rising from the base member, being secured in each case to the top of the post by a countersunk machine screw 31 as illustrated in FIG. 3. The receiver casting 14 is in turn huperposed on the sole plate and is rmly secured to the latter by a series of bolts 32 spaced at intervals around the common margins of these components.

Positioned near the forward end of the base member and inside the front cover 26 is a glue reservoir 33 having the laterally spaced, generally rectangular well sections 34. Each well section has a shallow rear portion with the bottom wall 34a and a deeper forward section having bottom wall 34b. The well sections are interconnected by transverse passageway 35 having a depth substantially equal to that of the shallow rear portion. The reservoir is preferably cast as a unit from metal having good heat conductivity, for example an aluminum casting alloy. A thickened wall portion 36 formed beneath the shallow well portions and the interconnecting passageway 35 is provided with a bore 37 running transversely thereafter receiving an electrically energized heating element 38.

It will be noted that the forward edges of the well sections 34 each have rising therefrom extension portions 34C. The purpose of these will later be explained. The glue reservoir is further provided with four symmertically arranged legs 39 which rest upon heat insulators 40 and are secured thereto and to the base member 28 by countersunk machine screws, as seen at 41 in FIG. 2, which are threaded into correspondingly tapped bores in the lower ends of the legs.

Supported at the upper rearward edge of the glue reservoir is a transverse horizontal shaft 42. The opposite ends of the shaft are rotatably supported in trunnlon troughs formed in the projecting bosses 43, being releasably retained therein by the washer and screw assemblles 44 which are threaded into the bosses 43 to one side of the shaft, but which have portions which overlie the open tops of the troughs. As can best be seen in FIGS. 4 and 5., the major portion of the shaft is noncircular in cross section, the preferred configuration being square. There are, however, circular end sections 42a at each end and these are of suflicient length to extend well inboard of the inner edges of vbosses 43. At its midpoint, the shaft carries a radially extending crank arm 45 which is keyed to the shaft to turn therewith. The crank arm 45 is located in the space between the confronting rear wall portions of the well sections 34 of the glue reservoir.

Mounted on shaft 42 and registering with the well sections 34 is a pair of glue dauber elements 46, the details of construction which are best seen in FIGS. 5 and 6. Each dauber element is preferably constructed of two similar thin strips of good quality spring metal laminated together over a major portion of their length by spot welds 47. The outer end of each dauber is formed with the head portion 46a which is provided with the upper face 46h. The inclination of face 46h is such that when the dauber is raised to the upper position illustrated at 46' in FIG. 2, the face 46h lies essentially parallel with and in the plane of the bottom surface of the lowermost ticket in the stack.

At that end of the dauber element adjacent the shaft, the strips diverge in the form of a Y to provide the legs 46c. Each leg is provided with a rectangular opening 46d of slightly greater length than the width of the shaft t0 permit the legs to assume the positions relative to the shaft illustrated in FIG. 5 The metal of which the dauber is made should have good qualities of resilience or springiness and the size of the openings 46d sufficiently restricted that, when in position on the shaft, the legs are under a flexural stress tending to urge themI still further apart. In this Way, the vertical edges of the opening (as viewed in FIG. 6) tend to tightly engage the corresponding confronting shaft faces and to provide a strong frictional resistance to sliding movement of the dauber element longitudinally along the shaft.

From the foregoing, it will be understood that while the dauber elements are self-locking at any longitudinal position on the square portion of the shaft, nevertheless, they can, as desired, -be shifted to other positions such as the position illustrated in broken lines in FIG. 5. Adjustment of the position is accomplished by pinching the legs 46c together sufficiently to break the friction lock on the shaft and, `while holding them in this condition, m'oving the dauber element along the shaft to the desired new position. Once released from the pinching grip, the legs will spring back and again lock the dauber element to the shaft. It will `also be understood that each dauber element can be disconnected entirely from the square portion by moving it, in the fashion described above, onto the cylindrical shaft ends 42a. In this latter position, the shaft will turn without corresponding movern'ent of the dauber since the cylindrical portion is of sufliciently smaller diameter than the shortest crosswise dimension of the openings 46d as to permit free turning of the shaft relative to the dauber.

Turning now to a description of the means for actuating the dauber elements and the shuttle plate 21, positioned behind the glue reservoir and rising from the base member 28 is a bifurcated pedestal having the parallel upstanding legs 48. Positioned between these legs is .a lever member 49 having the cross pin 50 whose ends are respectively journaled in trunnion slots 48a formed in the pedestal legs.

The upper end -of lever 49 carries a cross pin 51 which is slidably engaged in a slot 19h formed in the lug 19a of shuttle bar 19. This slot is of sufficient length to permit the pin to move longitudinally therein to the extent necessary to accommodate the pivotal movement of the lever to the linear movement of the lug 19a which occurs during operation. It will be observed that slot 19b is open at its lower end in order to permit an easy assembly with the pin 51.

Pivotally interconnected with lever member 49 intermediate its pivot support pin 50 and the upper end of the lever member is one end of a forwardly extending thrust link 52. The other end of link 52 is pivotally connected with the outer end of crank arm 45 which extends from the dauber shaft 42. The thrust link may conveniently be bent into loop form from rod stock, the bights at the ends being loosely engaged in corresponding apertures formed in the lever and crank arm respectively.

The lower end of the lever member 49 is pivotally connected by a pin 53 with one end of a link 54. The other end of link 54 is pivotally connected as at 55 with the head portion of the armature 56 of the solenoid 57 mounted on the base member 2S. The armature is shown in solid lines in FIG. 2 in the deenergized status of the solenoid, that is, with the armature extended to its full out position. A tension spring 58 serves to resiliently bias the lever arm and its associated parts toward and into the positions shown in solid lines in the drawings. This spring has one end hooked over the bight of thrust link 52 adjacent the lever member; the other end can be attached to any properly aligned stationary part, as for example the flange 59 at the rear of the solenoid as seen at 60 in FIG. 4.

The entire lower portion of the unit is preferably enclosed by an appropriate casing which includes the front cover 26, and the rear cover 61, a portion of `which is seen in FIG. 2. The latter has flaring sides 61a which extend forwardly from the rear wall 6111 and lwhich can be connected by appropriate screws to tapped recesses 62 in the side bosses 63 on the base member (see FIG. 4). The top of the rear cover member 60 is cut away to accommodate the base of top casting 14 and sole plate 17.

The front cover 26 is hingedly connected with the base mem-ber by pin 64 (FIG. 2) inserted in a bore formed in the boss 65 on the front of the base member. The opposite ends of this pin extend into journal openings (not shown) formed in bosses 66 (FIG. 2) formed near the inside front corners of the front cover member.

As seen in FIG. 7, the unit is adapted to -be operated from a conventional AC power supply network, with which it can be connected by the plug 67. The power circuit to the solenoid comprises the conductor 68, main power switch 69, conductor 70, secondary switch 71, conductor 72, normally closed micro-switch 73, conductor 74, fuse 75, the solenoid winding, and the return conductor 76. A thermostat 77 and heating element 78 are contained in a circuit including conductor 68, switch 69, conductors 79 and 80, and return conductor 76. The main power switch 69 and the thermostat knob 77a are preferably mounted on the rear upstanding wall 26 of the base member as shown in FIG. 4. The secondary switch 71 is preferably located at the forward portion of the unit as shown in FIG. l.

It will be noted that the micro-switch includes an elongate operating arrn 82 of rod-like construction which extends from the switch forwardly and provided with an upturned tip portion 82a which lies in the path of a ticket being ejected from the magazine. Ejection of the ticket causes depression of the operating member 82, which in turn causes opening of the switch. The switch can be supported on a suitable bracket attached to the base member 28 and is preferably located as shown in FIG. 4.

In preparing for operation of the preferred embodiment, the glue reservoir 33 is supplied with glue, the main power switch 69 turned on and the thermostat control 77a set to the temperature at which the glue is to be maintained. To facilitate placing the glue in the reservoir, front cover 26 can be temporarily pivoted to the lowered or forward position shown in FIG. 4. While the cover is down, the dauber elements 46 are positioned in the positions along the shaft which will produce glue strips on the tickets at the desired locations. If only one strip is to be applied, one dauber element may be moved to the inactive position on the cylindrical shaft portion 42a as earlier described. Of course, if no glue is to vbe applied, then both dauber elements can be moved to an inactive position.

When the dauber elements have been properly positioned, the front cover 26 is swung back to the normal position it occupies during operation. A magazine 10 loaded with tickets is inserted into the receiver and the unit is now ready for use.

Micro-switch 73 is at this time in its normally closed condition and its operating arm 82 is in the up position with the tip 82a in front of the lower portion of the ticket stack. To start operation of the machine, the switch 71 at the front is now closed. By referring to FIG. 7, it will be seen that this causes energization of the solenoid 57. Upon energization of the solenoid, the armature 56 is retracted and lever arm 49 is pivoted clockwise (as viewed in FIGS. 3 and 7) to the broken line position of FIG. 3.

The pivoting of the lever member is accompanied by two basic actions. First, the bar 19 is slid forwardly in its groove carrying with it the shuttle plate 21. The leading edge of the shuttle plate strikes the lowermost ticket in the stack and pushes it partially from the stack outwardly between the support surface 26b on cover element 26 and the lower edges 27b of the hold down flanges 27. The stroke of the shuttle plate is such that the ticket is not completely freed from the stack. Second, through the interaction of the lever member thrust link 52 and crank arm 45, the shaft 42 is rotated counterclockwise and the dauber elements 46 keyed to the shaft are swung upwardly out of the glue in the reservoir to the position shown at 46 in FIG. 3.

The glue dauber elements 46, as they rise from the reservoir, carry on the respective upper faces 46b deposits of glue which are transferred to the under side of the ejected ticket. The hold down flanges 27 serve to keep the ticket in contact with the dauber elements during the glue transfer. It will be observed that the length of the dauber elements 46 is such that the head portion underlies only the ejected ticket and that there is no contact between the glue dauber and the remaining tickets in the stack. Spattering of glue due to centrifugal force from the rise of the daubers is prevented by the upwardly projecting lips 34C on the front portions of the well section 34.

As the ticket reaches its ejected position, it engages and depresses the tip 82a of the switch operating arm 82, thus causing the switch 73 to open. The opening of the switch breaks the circuit to the solenoid winding whereupon the tension spring 58 acts to return the lever member 49 to its normal position. Thus, the unit now is in a situation where there is one ejected ticket contained between the hold down flanges 27 and the front cover surface 26b and this ticket has glue already applied thereto.

When the ejected ticket is grasped and pulled free, this releases the lever armI 82 and permits it to rise again under the influence of its biasing means. Again the solenoid 57 is energized and as a result, another ticket is moved into position and has glue applied thereto as described above. Ticket thus can be ejected and treated with glue successively as fast as the preceding ticket is removed, the only action required on the part of the operator being that of grasping and withdrawing the projecting ticket.

Whenever it is desired to shut off the machine, switch 71 is opened. When the ejected ticket is withdrawn, the solenoid will remain deenergized despite return of the lever arm 82 to the uppermost position. The machine is now in condition for a period of rest. Whenever it is desired to start again, the operator need only close switch 71 and the cycle set forth above can be repeated. The posittioning of the control for switch 71 on the front of the unit makes it easy to operate the unit in the fashion described.

As will be evident, by providing a separate magazine and receiver, the machine can be readily adapted to the handling of tickets of differing dimensions. Magazines of different cross sectional width and length can be fitted into the receiver without affecting the basic mode of operation. Likewise, the glue strips can be located in various positions, as required, by shifting the dauber elements lengthwise of the shaft or by selectively deactivating them.

From the foregoing description, it will be seen that this invention is one well adapted to attain all of the ends and objects hereinabove set forth, together with other advantages which are obvious and which are inherent in the structure.

It will be understood that certain features and subcombinations are of utility and may be employed without reference to other features and subcom'binations. This is contemplated by and is within the scope of the claims.

Since many possible embodiments may be made of the invention without departing from the scope thereof, it is to be understood that all matter herein set forth or shown in the accompanying drawings is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

Having thus described our invention, we claim:

1. Apparatus for successively ejecting the endmost ticket-like element from a stack of like elements and simultaneously applying a liquid medium to a surface thereof, said apparatus comprising a magazine containing said elements in stacked form, said magazine including a bottom support plate on which said stack rests,

a reciprocable shuttle plate positioned to move into and out of said magazine from one side thereof adjacent and above said support plate whereby to displace successively the lowermost ticket-like elements at least partially from the stack and olf said plate toward the opposite side thereby to expose at least a portion of the undersurface of said element,

a glue reservoir beneath the magazine containing liquid glue,

a dauber member having a glue applicator head normally immersed in said glue, said dauber member supported for movement of said head from within the glue to a portion adjacent the exposed underside of the displaced element and back again,

means interconnecting said shuttle plate and dauber member for synchronized movement, and

power means selectively operable to reciprocate said plate.

2. Apparatus as in claim 1 including stationary support means extending to one side of said magazine and adapted to overlie the protruding upper surface of the displaced element.

3. Apparatus as in claim 1 wherein said head on said dauber member comprises a narrow glue applicator surface arranged to apply a strip of glue transversely across the underside of said displaced element.

4. Apparatus for successively ejecting the endmost ticket-like elements from a stack of like elements and simultaneously applying a liquid medium to the surface thereof, said apparatus comprising a magazine for containing said elements in stacked form, said magazine including a bottom support plate on which said stack rests,

cyclically operated ejector means operable in each cycle to engage and displace and to expose a portion of the lowermost element in said stack outwardly and sidewise with respect to the stack,

a glue reservoir disposed beneath the magazine and containing liquid glue,

at least one dauber member having a head portion normally immersed in said glue,

means supporting said dauber member for movement of said head portion upwardly out of said glue to adjacent the underside of said exposed portion of said displaced element and back again,

power means for effecting the cyclic motion of said ejector means, and

means interconnecting said cyclic ejector means and said dauber member whereby to synchronize the cycle of said ejector means with the up and down movement of the head portion of said dauber member.

5. Apparatus as in claim 4 including stationary support means extending to one side of the said magazine and adapted to overlie the exposed upper surface of said displaced element.

6. Apparatus as in claim 4 wherein said head portion comprises a narrow glue applicator surface arranged to apply a strip of glue transversely across the underside of said displaced element.

7. Apparatus for successively ejecting the endmost ticket-like elements from a stack of like elements and simultaneously applying a liquid medium to a surface thereof, said apparatus comprising a magazine for containing said elements in stacked form, said magazine including a bottom support plate on which said stack rests,

cyclically operated ejector means operable in each cycle to engage and displace and to expose a portion of the lowermost element in said stack outwardly and sidewise with respect to the stack,

a glue reservoir disposed beneath the surface of the magazine and containing liquid glue, a rotatable horizontal shaft above said reservoir, a dauber member having one end connected with said shaft and the other normally immersed in said glue,

said other end formed as a head portion adapted on rotation of said shaft in one direction to be elevated to a position adjacent the exposed underside of said displaced elements and in the other direction back to the immersed condition, and

link means interconnecting said cyclic ejector means and shaft whereby to effect and synchronize the rotation of said shaft with the cycle of said ejector means.

8. The combination as in claim 7 wherein said one end of said dauber member is adjustably connected with said shaft for adjustment lengthwise of the shaft, thus to permit selective adjustment of the dauber member relative to the position of the said displaced ticket-like element.

9. Apparatus as in claim 7 wherein said shaft is provided with a lengthwise portion of non-circular cross section and said one end of said dauber member is correspondingly apertured to lit over and key said dauber member to said shaft portion, said shaft having a second lengthwise portion of suiciently smaller cross section as to permit said shaft to turn freely with respect to the dauber member when the apertured section thereof is shifted onto said second portion.

10. The combination as in claim 7 wherein said one end of said dauber member is bifurcated and providing a pair of resiliently bendable legs, the respective legs having aligned apertures through which the shaft is received, theV shaft cross section and apertures being noncircular and so related in size that the legs normally are under flexural stress so that opposite edges of the respective apertures frictionally engage the adjacent surfaces of the shaft.

11. Apparatus as in claim 10 wherein said shaft has a lengthwise portion of sufciently smaller cross section than the size of the apertures as to permit the shaft to turn freely in the apertures when said last named portion registers with the apertures.

12. The combination of a dispenser unit containing a supply of tags having means operable to deliver a new tag to the position vacated by a preceding tag upon withdrawal of the preceding tag, of

a `glue reservoir containing a supply of liquid glue,

a dauber member havilng a head portion normally submerged in said glue,

support means supporting said dauber member for oscillating movement between the normal submerged condition for said head and a position adjacent the underside of said tag position, said support means including a rotary shaft, and

wherein said dauber member is bifurcated to provide a pair of resiliently bendable legs, the respective legs having aligned apertures through which the shaft is received, the shaft cross section `and yapertures lbeing noncircular and so related in size that the legs are normally under flexural stress so that opposite edges of the respective 'apertures frictionally engage the adjacent surfaces of the shaft and means interconnecting said dispensing means and support means and operable to produce oscillation of said dauber member `for each dispensation of a new tag.

13. The combination as in claim 12 wherein said shaft has a lengthwise portion of sufficiently smaller cross section than the size of the apertures as to permit the shaft to turn lfreely in the aperures when said last named portion registers with the apertures.

14. In a glue applicator yfor ticket-like elements, the combination of a glue reservoir containing a supply of liquid glue,

a rotatable horizontal shaft above said reservoir,

a dauber member having one end connected with said shaft land the other normally immersed in Isaid glue, said other end formed as a head portion adapted on rotation of said shaft in one direction to be elevated out of said glue to a raised position and in the other position back to its normal immersed condition, said one end of said dauber member being bifurcated and providing a pair of resiliently bendable legs, the respective legs having aligned apertures through which the shaft is received,

the shaft cross section and apertures being non-circular and so related in size that the legs normally are under flexural stress so that opposite edges of the respective apertures frictionally engage the adjacent surfaces of the shaft.

15. Apparatus as in claim 14 wherein said shaft has a lengthwise portion of sufficiently smaller cross section than lthe ysize of the apertures as to permit the shaft to turn freely in the apertures when said last named portion registers with the apertures.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 582,609 5/ 1897 Aldrich et al 118-243 X 682,611 9/1901 Gilfillan etal. 118-243 X 1,030,254 6/1912 Fosdick 118-243 3,056,337 10/1962 Bahr et al 118-2 X 3,282,245 11/1966 Nowak 118-263 PETER FELDMAN, Primary Examiner.

U.S. Cl. X.R. 

